DLA (David Raff, Tom Whelan) advised Gresham on its £6.6bn investment in 2escape2 Holdings (2e2) and 2e2 on its acquisition of six IT support companies from Telenor ASA. The deal also involved the onsale to GX Networks of two of the IT companies. Coudert Brothers (Mark Cranwell) advised Telenor Business Holdings UK, Nicholson Graham & Jones (John Elgar) advised the management and Addleshaw Goddard (Tim Bee) advised GX.

Wragge & Co (Jasbinder Singh, Serena Davidson) and Gibson Dunn & Crutcher advised GKN on
its e59m (£42m) acquisition of Pilkington Aerospace. Pepper Hamilton (John Duke, Jim Rosener) and DLA (James Kerrigan) advised Pilkington.
Willkie Farr & Gallagher (Laurent Faugerolas, Annette Peron) advised French private equity firm PAI Partners on its e582m (£411m) acquisition of GrandVision. GrandVision was advised by Bredin Prat (Sébastien Prat).

Baker & McKenzie (Timothy Gee, Tim Sheddick) advised United Business Media on its e112m (£79m) acquisition of Aprovia UK, advised by Ashurst Morris Crisp (Charlie Geffen, Thomas Forschbach).

Slaughter and May (Martin Whelton) acted for FirstGroup on its offer for the entire share capital of GB Railways Group. The offer values GB Railways, advised by Goodman Derrick, at £22m, with another £22m as a deferred consideration.

Baker & McKenzie (Helen Bradley, Elliot Shear) advised Kidde on its e14m (£10m) acquisition of IFTE, advised by Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw (Stephen Bottomley, Duncan Wilson).

Berwin Leighton Paisner (Keith Stella) is advising El Oro Mining & Exploration Company on its proposed £43m merger with the Exploration Company. McDermott Will & Emery (William Charnley) is advising Exploration.

SJ Berwin (John Daghlian) advised Beringea on the £6.1m secondary buyout of SPC International. The acquisition vehicle was funded by ProVen VCT and Pennine Downing Ethical, with further funds from SPC’s management and the Royal Bank of Scotland. SPC was advised by Osborne Clarke, while Pennine was advised by SJ Berwin.